


What was She Like?

by Ncredible



Series: She's Gone [3]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: madi fangirling when she meets a member of the 100
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2017-09-06
Packaged: 2018-12-24 14:03:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12014298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ncredible/pseuds/Ncredible
Summary: Madi asks Niylah what Clarke was like before Priamfaya.





	What was She Like?

**Author's Note:**

> Unlike the other two works in this series this will be told in Nilyah's POV not Kane's. 
> 
> I drew inspiration for this fic from interviews that had said that for Madi the 100 would be like her heroes and so this is basically her just being excited by the prospect of meeting some of them. And I think she would also be interested to know what Clarke was like before they met.

“Wanheda is alive,” an Azegeda warrior says as I look up from my task. I had been hearing the whispers all afternoon, but I hadn’t taken it seriously. After Bellamy and the rest returned from the sky without Clarke, Abby had told me she died when Priamfaya had hit. Raven came to see me shortly after their return and told me Clarke had needed to set up a tower so they could take off. I was upset when I heard she had died, but I when I thought about Clarke I always saw how haunted she looked and if she were gone perhaps she found peace in the light of the Commander, perhaps even with Commander Lexa.   
But after hearing the rumor from an Azegeda warrior, I must know the truth, “I will be back,” I tell a Skiakru worker by my station. I make my way down to the infirmary to see Abby. After the doors shut I began spending time learning from the older Skiakru doctor. I thought the way Clarke healed the wounded was amazing and was happy when Abby had agreed to teach me their ways in healing. Abby is a patient teacher and so knowledgeable, but where Clarke embraced the differences of Trikru, Azegeda and the other clans, Abby still saw danger. She has gotten better over the years, but it has taken the Mother much longer than the Daughter to see the differences as just that. When Abby had learned of Clarke’s death, she redoubled her efforts to teach everyone who wanted to learn. It was almost like she was trying to honor the dead by teaching a new generation of healers.   
I had intended to stay near the infirmary in case Abby had needed anything, but Octavia wanted me to help dry and preserve the meat the hunters had brought back. It wasn’t much meat, but I did as I was told. When I made it to the Infirmary, there was a group of Skiakru standing outside. The group of the Skiakru was left of the group Clarke used to call the 100. I saw Ambassador Kane standing by Indra, I walk over to them, but I see their focus is on something inside the infirmary. I follow their gaze and see, “It’s true,” I breath out.   
Ambassador Kane looks over at me, “Yes, it is.”  
“I thought survival on the surface was impossible,” I say.  
“It seems Dr. Griffin’s nightblood solution had worked,” Indra says.   
“How has she survived all these years alone?” I ask. Not because I didn’t believe Clarke couldn’t have survived on her own; I know she could have she had been intent on doing just that when I first met her.   
“We don’t know. She has refused to talk to Octavia and she won’t leave the Infirmary,” Indra says.   
“She’s hurt, then.” I feel a familiar sense of worry I get when I think of Clarke getting hurt. Every time I saw her she always had some new cut somewhere. Clarke was never a warrior, she was always a leader, but a warrior not so much.   
“No. She is uninjured.” Kane assures me.   
“Then she is here to see Abby?” I ask.   
“No, the girl with her was injured when some of the hunters ran into them,” Kane says.   
“Did the hunters hurt the girl?”  
“They are saying the girl appeared from nowhere and they reacted,” Indra says. She sounds disgusted by the hunter’s version of events. I look back over to where Clarke form is and now I see a girl who looks like she hasn’t seen more than twelve summers. The hunters who had gone on the first hunt were expert hunters before Priamfaya and I can’t see how a girl of that size would have been able to sneak up on them.   
“Niylah!” Octavia calls out.  
I make my way over to Octavia and I bow my head when I get to her, “How can I help you, Commander?”  
“I would like you to talk to Clarke and have her meet me. She can’t keep ignoring me just because the girl was injured.” Octavia says.   
“I don’t think it’s Clarke’s intention to offend, Commander. She is just worried about her companion,” I say.  
“Either way the Ambassadors are getting restless because Wanheda survived Priamfaya and now is refusing to tell us where the hunting is good.” Octavia says.   
“I’ll try, but like everyone else I haven’t seen Clarke in six years,” I tell her.   
“Niylah if anyone can make her understand the seriousness it would be you,” Octavia says.  
I look through the window and really see Clarke for the first time. Her hair is shorter than I remember and it has red in it like it did when she first walked into my father’s trading post. Her clothes look closer to that of what my people wear than what her own do. I look back at Octavia and nod my head and walk into the infirmary.   
“Ha yun, ai lukot,” I say when I get to the bed Clarke and the girl were at. Clarke head snaps up and looks in my direction. I look at the girl and see that she is in fact awake.   
“I’ll be right over there,” Clarke tells the girl and points to a spot a little way from her. The girl nods the acknowledgement. Clarke and I move away from the girl’s bed, but Clarke keeps the girl in her eyesight.   
“I’m glad you are all right,” Clarke says, “I had hoped someone would put your name in the lottery.”   
I smile at her, because of course Clarke had worried about my safety in the bunker after she left, but I don’t correct her on how I ended up in the bunker because it isn’t important now.   
“How have you been?” Clarke tries.   
“Good. Your mother has been teaching the Skaikru healing ways. Under Octavia’s rule we have found a peace down here.” I tell her.  
“I hope it lasts outside the bunker,” Clarke remarks, I decide not to say anything because privately I hope it does to, but peace in the bunker has been fragile, to say the least.  
“Who is your friend,” I ask looking over at the girl and see that the girl is watching us intensely. She has even sat up in her bed.   
“Madi. We found each other five years ago,” Clarke says and her voice softens.   
I decide now is as good as any to tell Clarke of Octavia’s wishes, “Octavia would like a word. She is getting impatient and she isn’t the only one. The ambassador’s have to be able to tell their people something.”   
“I’m not leaving Madi here. Alone,” Clarke declares furiously. I’m taken aback by Clarke’s response. It’s not that I’ve never seen Clarke angry, but this seems different. She won’t leave Madi here alone. Clarke seems scared almost by the idea of leaving Madi alone.   
“Clarke?” Madi calls and Clarke immediately moves to Madi side. I watch the interaction and I’ve never seen Clarke so soft with anyone. Clarke says something and Madi giggles. Then Madi says something and Clarke turns and looks at me. Clarke tilts her head towards Madi and herself and I walk over to them.   
“This is my friend, Niylah,” Clarke says.   
“The one who helped you after the Mountain?” Madi asks.  
“Yes, that’s the one,” Clarke says.   
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say to Madi. Her eyes are wide and she is smiling brightly. I lean over to Clarke and try again, “you need to talk to Octavia and the council.”  
“If you have to go talk to someone, Niylah, could stay with me? You always trusted her, Clarke, even when the monster who stole minds came,” Madi says.  
“Madi…” Clarke starts.   
“I’ll be okay,” Madi says, “Anyways, you have to tell Bellamy and Octavia about the ship we saw.”  
Clarke thinks for a minute and turns to me, “do you mind staying with her while I am gone?”  
“No. I’ll stay with Madi, while you are gone.”  
Clarke looks back at Madi says, “I won’t be long, okay?”   
“Swega?” Madi asks in my tongue and she holds out her pinky to Clarke for some reason.  
“Ai swega em klin,” Clarke answers and she hooks her pinky with Madi’s then she leans forward and gives Madi a kiss on her forehead. Clarke gets up and before she leaves she looks back at Madi and says, “I’ll be back strikon Natblida,” and with that Clarke leaves the infirmary.   
Madi and I both watch Clarke leave and as she leaves it hits me that Madi is a Natblida, that was how she survived.   
We are silent for awhile, but Madi breaks the silence, “Niylah?”  
“Yes?” I ask.  
“What was Clarke like? I mean I know the stories she has told me, but what was she like before the she fought the Mountainy Men? How did she beat the Mountain? She won’t tell me how. Do you know what she was like when she was my age?”  
Madi’s questions come at me fast. I am at a lost as to which questions to answer. Clearly, Clarke had no desire to tell Madi about how she had killed the Mountain. I know Clarke had never been proud of her actions at Mount Weather and I know when I first met her at my father’s trading post she was haunted by her actions. If Clarke hadn’t told Madi everything about the Mountain maybe I shouldn’t either.   
“Niylah?” Madi asks seeing that I wasn’t listening anymore.  
“How about you tell me the story? I’ll add in what I can.” I tell her.  
“That’s what Clarke says when she doesn’t want to tell me,” Madi pouts.   
“Well, I promise to add in what I can, but I didn’t know Clarke before the Mountain.”  
“Okay, but you promise to add something to the story?” Madi asks.  
I laugh, “I will do my best.” Madi seems to take this answer. I am pleasantly surprised by how innocent Madi seems to be despite what must have brought her to Clarke.   
Madi sits up a bit straighter and begins a story she seems to know well, “Once upon a time there was a castle in the sky, and the people who lived there were scared of the ground below, but the castle was dying. So, they decided to send the bad children down to the scary place…” I hear movement behind me and turn and see Abby and Raven coming over to use. Abby puts a finger to her lips signaling me to not draw attention herself or Raven.  
I focus my attention back to Madi, “to see if they could survive. In the beginning, there were 100 of them, well Clarke always says there were 101 including Bellamy, but wouldn’t it be 102 including Raven?” Madi asks.  
I look over at Abby and Raven because this was before I met Clarke. Raven answers, “Well I came down from the Ark…or the castle… after the dropship that had the rest of the 100.”  
“You’re Raven?” Madi asks, clearly awed.   
“Uh yea, nice to meet you.” Raven says unsure why Madi looks so awed.   
“Can you keep telling us the story?” Abby asks.  
“Okay, anyway, there was originally 102 of them. And they were all alone. With no parents. So, they did whatever the hell they wanted,” Madi says. Raven makes a disguised snorting sound, but Madi was too focused on her storytelling to stop, “Then the monsters came and some of them killed the bad children. Some took the children away to steal their bones. One even stole their minds, but the bad children fought back….” I see Raven and Abby shift uncomfortably at the description of the Trikru warriors, the Mountain Men and Allie.   
“… And the bad children realized that together even bad children can do good things. They even began to see that some of the monsters were just like them…” I think that seeing some of the ‘monsters’ as just like them had something to do with Clarke meeting Lexa.   
“…but when the parents came down to find their children, they didn’t understand. They just made things worse…” I look over at Abby and see she has tears in her eyes. Raven has put her hand on Abby shoulder and given it a squeeze.  
No one stops Madi’s story and she continues “…the 100 fought for their land. They fought for their friends. And sometimes they fought against their own families. They tried to be the good guys, but then they realized maybe there are no good guys. And they aren’t children anymore, but it didn’t matter after all they did to survive it turned out the scary place was haunted by a monster they couldn’t kill. So, they found a place that could save them all, but they couldn’t figure out how to share, until a hero, Octavia, rose from the ashes to unite them all…”  
“Octavia would love to hear that description of her,” Raven says.  
“Shh.” Abby says to her and she turns back to Madi, “Please continue.”  
“In the end, the unkillable monster came not everyone made it inside. Eight warriors forced to face the monster alone. They fought like they had never fought before, but it wasn’t enough until one of the eight the bravest, fairest of them all climbed the highest tower to cast the spell sending her friends back to the sky. Just as the monster roared in, if she had to die to save her friends then she would die…”  
“Little egotistical of Clarke, don’t you think?” Raven asks.  
“Shh.” Abby and I say to her.  
“But she didn’t die because she had magic blood. Only now she was alone; everyone she loved or cared about was gone. Trapped under the ground or lost in the sky. She thought she was the last person on the world, but she was wrong. She found another, the most badass, well second most badass warrior on earth and they lived happily ever after.”  
“That’s an intense story,” Abby says.  
“Clarke says that if we don’t learn about the past we are doomed to repeat it,” Madi says, “Clarke tells the stories because the thinks they would be less scary than if she just told them without monsters.”  
“She might be right about that,” Abby says.  
“Niylah how did Clarke become Wanheda?” Madi asks.  
“By defeating the mountain?” I answer honestly.   
“But how? Even Lexa couldn’t beat the mountain and she was the greatest Commander,” Madi says.   
“She did what she to do to keep her friends and family alive,” Abby says.  
“Do you think while Clarke and I are here could I meet Bellamy and Octavia? Clarke says they are the reason her people survived the monsters.” Madi asks.  
“I think we could arrange that,” Abby says. Clearly, she is hoping Clarke will be around for awhile.   
“How come Clarke trusts you to stay with me, Niylah?” Madi asks.  
“I think it’s because after the Mountain fell Clarke hadn’t become Wanheda yet, and she came into my father’s trading post. She came in with this scrawny pheasant barely worth plucking it was so small, but she did learn to hunt. The last time she brought in meat it was a fully-grown panther.” I tell Madi.   
“Wow. Clarke has been teaching me to hunt. I want to get a panther just like Clarke.” Madi says.  
“I’m sure you will,” Abby says.  
“Why would that make Clarke trust you?” Madi asks.  
“I was getting to that. After word spread and Clarke had become Wanheda a bounty was placed on her. Everyone wanted Wanheda and bounty hunters were coming into the trading post looking for her. I never said anything. The last time bounty hunters came in, Roan of Azegeda was there and he showed a drawing of Clarke. It wasn’t very good, I would say whoever drew it had never actually seen her before. After Roan left, Clarke asked me how long I had known who she was and I told her since that first meeting. She had started dying her hair red, but when she first came in she still had golden hair and she was dressed like Skiakru. I wasn’t hard to guess who she was.” I say leaving out that Clarke had in fact been taken that night by the bounty hunter who had come for her.   
“Clarke!” Madi exclaims and everyone sitting around Madi’s bed turn and look at the infirmary doors and sure enough Clarke is standing there with Indra and Kane behind her.  
“I told you I wouldn’t be gone long,” Clarke tells Madi and she moves to sit at the foot of Madi’s hospital bed.   
“Clarke, Niylah told me you killed a panther,” Madi exclaims excited to tell Clarke what she learned.  
“I did. Even have the scars to prove it.” Clarke confirms.  
“Really?” Madi and Abby ask at once. Madi seems in awe of Clarke, but Abby doesn’t sound awed just scared that her daughter was in that kind of danger.   
“Really, I jumped on the panther from a tree and I missed the heart and it threw me off it. When it came at me I got the heart that time and before the panther died it clawed my back pretty good.” Clarke says.  
“Did it hurt?” Madi asks.  
“A little, but Niylah patched me up and I was as good as new,” Clarke tells Madi. I blush at Clarke’s words because from what I remember of that night and I didn’t do much healing.   
“Hey Clarke?” Madi asks.  
“Yes, my little Natblida?” Clarke asks.  
“Dr. Abby said that we could see Bellamy and Octavia while we are here. Is that true? Can I meet them?” Madi asks clearly excited by the prospect.  
Clarke looks over at her mother and then over to Indra and Kane are standing and finally back to Madi, “I guess we could stay one night and if Bellamy and Octavia aren’t busy you could meet them.”   
“I could go with you if you have to meet them again tomorrow. I won’t say a word. I promise.” Madi begs.   
“We will see, but first you have to go to sleep,” Clarke says and Madi immediately lays back down on the bed.  
“You’ll stay with me until I fall asleep? It’s so loud in here, Clarke? How can anyone sleep in this place?” Madi asks and she sounds scared.  
“I’ll be here all night,” Clarke promises.  
Abby, Raven and I take that as our que to leave and we make our way over to Indra and Kane.   
“Check Clarke out being all momma bear with the kid,” Raven says once we are out of earshot.   
“I had no idea Clarke was so go with children,” I say, though I guess there are a great number of things I never knew about Clarke. When she was coming to Father’s trading post she was running from her past and when she came back she was so focused on trying to save everyone that getting to know her past never came up.  
“She used to volunteer at the Center on the Ark. She was always good with the kids. She told me once that if she failed her qualifying test to be a doctor she wanted to work in the Center.” Abby says.   
“She really is always trying to save everyone,” Raven says. I’m not quite sure what she means by that, but she looks from Abby to Clarke. There must be a story there.   
“How did Clarke’s meeting with Octavia go?” Abby asks Kane.  
“Octavia has allowed Clarke to stay a few nights in exchange of Clarke telling Octavia what she knows of this new ship Clarke saw,” Kane said.  
“But…” Abby says.  
“Wanheda has made her intentions clear. She doesn’t wish to stay and risk a Flame Keeper taking the Natblida from her.” Indra says. I can’t say I blame Clarke for her desire to keep Madi away from the Flame Keepers for as long as possible.

**Author's Note:**

> As always thank you for reading and comments/ kudos are greatly appreciated


End file.
